James 4:13-17 “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanishth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

Acts 8:29-30 “Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?”

Philippians 3:14 “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

When I commanded Joint Base Andrews (2016-18), the Air Force Honor Guard fell under my command. These Ceremonial Guardsmen – known for being sharp, crisp, and motionless – were incredible examples of the precision and dedication of Airmen around the world.

They invited me to spend a morning with their Drill Team, and they had a few tricks up their crisply-ironed sleeves. They wanted to train and film me walking the gauntlet – an impressive part of their showy routine. In about an hour, I was ready to go and the end result (using me as a prop) highlights their incredible professionalism:

When they posted it (without my knowledge), it went viral – gaining over 20 million views (including a repost from Snoop Dogg). Yet, there was an interested point I learned during our training.

As they were teaching me to walk with the right cadence, my natural tendency was to slow down. After all, I saw the spinning rifles in front of me – with the bayonet tips traveling at over 40 miles per hour. I didn’t want to get hit by those!

They warned me, however, of an important truth. The rifles were spinning just as fast behind me. And while slowing down might seem safer, it was actually riskier because doing so put me in the danger zone of the threats I couldn’t see.

Jonah didn’t want to follow God to Ninevah, and his delay put him in the danger zone of the great fish that he couldn’t see. The Israelites were too fearful to enter into the Promised Land, and their delay put them in the danger zone of a 4-decade trek through the desert that they couldn’t see.

Delay from God’s plan for our lives might seem safer, but it’s actually riskier because doing so puts us in the danger zone of the threats we can’t see.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO PRESS FORWARD TOWARDS A TIMELY FULFILLMENT OF GOD’S CALLING IN OUR LIVES. Slowing down is too risky for us and for the cause of Christ in our land.

ADMIN: I won’t be publishing a PLUS blog next weekend, but please keep praying faithfully for widespread revival in the United States of America while pressing forward for the cause of Christ in our land!